Cracked Wood Trim on Shifter & Dash

AA, dont you have a sub? I didnt know that you could wire a sub into the factory stereo!

al_roethlisberger wrote:

It is interesting to note that in a thread elsewhere here about disassembling the console, it is mentioned that the later wood/faux-wood shift surround can be removed by removing some push-nuts from some rear studs to lift it off. This particular piece was glued and mounted with bent metal tabs, and the shift indicator window had been bonded to the rear of the piece. So it was built to be a semi-permanent and non-removable part of the console. So if the description that some of these wood shift surrounds can be removed by undoing some push nuts, that is another interesting distinction because this example doesn't seem to have that option.

You are right Al, I went back and looked at that post and saw where it states it can be removed by removing the push-nuts ...

Quote :

The wood trim itsself is glued to a metal plate which is secured to the top of the center consol with pushnuts. You have to remove the top piece of the center consol which is pretty easy, then remove the pushnuts un the bottom.

I wanted to be sure it wasn't something I had posted, again you are right, the shifter surround "cannot" be removed by removing "push-nuts" on any '96-'99 consoles, they are all the same, mounted in with tabs.

I just wanted to be sure I had not posted incorrect information.

al_roethlisberger wrote:

..... that's a die hard motorcyclist there, riding in 10F

So, I was reviewing the wrecking yard's "recent additions" to see if they had any new donors this week, and their inventory for the Riviera I pulled the wood piece from is listed as:

"1996 Oldsmobile Riveria"

I need a new trim piece that goes around the shifter. It cracked yesterday in multiple pieces because of the cold. Is it possible to get just that piece anywhere?

98riv wrote:

I need a new trim piece that goes around the shifter.  It cracked yesterday in multiple pieces because of the cold.  Is it possible to get just that piece anywhere?

Sorry but no.  I was in the same boat as you are - cracked wood around the shifter.  The best you can do is to get a dash kit and install it over the old wood, which can be a big job depending on the color of your interior and how many pieces you want to use.  If you just want to cover the wood around the shifter, and the matching piece around the radio, it's not too bad, but if you want to do the whole kit there's a lot of interior pieces that have to be pulled (well, you could try to do the install without pulling any interior panels, but it will be a 100 times more difficult and you only get one chance to put the kit pieces on straight.)

Jack the R wrote:

98riv wrote:

I need a new trim piece that goes around the shifter.  It cracked yesterday in multiple pieces because of the cold.  Is it possible to get just that piece anywhere?

Sorry but no.  I was in the same boat as you are - cracked wood around the shifter.  The best you can do is to get a dash kit and install it over the old wood, which can be a big job depending on the color of your interior and how many pieces you want to use.  If you just want to cover the wood around the shifter, and the matching piece around the radio, it's not too bad, but if you want to do the whole kit there's a lot of interior pieces that have to be pulled (well, you could try to do the install without pulling any interior panels, but it will be a 100 times more difficult and you only get one chance to put the kit pieces on straight.)

I was afraid to hear that, but figured that would be the case with the age of our vehicles. Thanks.

You could look in a junkyard for a clean piece, as rare as they are.

The piece itself isn't removable from the large section of the center console that it's a part of. IIRC that piece runs from the very front (includes the cupholder and cover for the cupholder) to the very rear (includes the bin under the arm rest).

I think going with the flow and cleaning and polishing what you find beneath the cracked trim is a good alternative too.

Sorry, the Riv is in hibernation, and I don't want to wake her up to take a new picture, but this is what it looks like if you peel all of the wood off and polish it. The area around the shifter is the same.

^^^^^^Beautiful! Im doing the exact same. Black dash , polished trim. Coming Spring 2015!

I polished mine like that (page 4 of thread). Looks good, but I will probably change it soon.

I think that on black it really pops and looks good. I think it might not look as good with some of the wonkier colored interiors.

If only repairing the shifter area, one can get a 95 or 96 console top and paint the plastic to match.  


If you want the wood surround, the 96 has the wood surround, and while the 95 does not, the 96 wood surround can be added. If you find a wrecked 96 and the console top itself is not reusable, the wood shifter surround can be peeled off with care as it is just attached with double sided tape and some bent over aluminum tabs.

The 96 was the only year with real wood as I recall, and I had read that it was manufactured by Yamaha.  I added the 96 wood trim to my 95 by just gluing it on with double-sided tape to my 95 console top.

I have some photos posted here somewhere that show the 96 surround is real wood.

The 96 wood clear coat can crack too (mine has two hairlines) but doesn't seem to come apart like the faux wood of the 97+ models. But if just scratched, the 96 wood can be polished out.

You can see the 96 wood shifter surround mounted in my 95 here:

https://rivperformance.editboard.com/t11174-repainted-dash-and-console-black?highlight=black+dash


Al

al_roethlisberger wrote:

If only repairing the shifter area, one can get a 95 or 96 console top and paint the plastic to match.  


If you want the wood surround, the 96 has the wood surround, and while the 95 does not, the 96 wood surround can be added. If you find a wrecked 96 and the console top itself is not reusable, the wood shifter surround can be peeled off with care as it is just attached with double sided tape and some bent over aluminum tabs.

The 96 was the only year with real wood as I recall, and I had read that it was manufactured by Yamaha.  I added the 96 wood trim to my 95 by just gluing it on with double-sided tape to my 95 console top.

I have some photos posted here somewhere that show the 96 surround is real wood.

The 96 wood clear coat can crack too (mine has two hairlines) but doesn't seem to come apart like the faux wood of the 97+ models.  But if just scratched, the 96 wood can be polished out.

You can see the 96 wood shifter surround mounted in my 95 here:

https://rivperformance.editboard.com/t11174-repainted-dash-and-console-black?highlight=black+dash


Al

That's good to know. Thanks!

FWIW, the '97 is real wood as well. It's an extremely thin overlay with some sort of an acrylic clear coat.

My 95 has real wood from the dealer when new. 20 years, 180k miles and it still looks new. Did 95's come with any wood at all or were they only installed as an add-on?

This picture is a couple years old but nothing has changed since then

The '95's did not have any wood installed from the factory, only trim in the interior color.

Sir Psycho Sexy wrote:

FWIW, the '97 is real wood as well. It's an extremely thin overlay with some sort of an acrylic clear coat.

Good to know, that means there are more "donors" out there .... all that should be saved when possible BTW since the real wood was a short lived trim piece. There's a 96 in a yard in Greensboro right now I plan to go checkout for some parts, that being one of them.

I had thought the 96 was the only year with the real wood.....


Al

I think it was talked about before that the wood on the 96 seemed much thicker. I've never seen a wood dash piece in good condition in person!

th3fr4nchi5e wrote:

My 95 has real wood from the dealer when new. 20 years, 180k miles and it still looks new. Did 95's come with any wood at all or were they only installed as an add-on?

This picture is a couple years old but nothing has changed since then

No, the 95's had no wood trim, faux or real.  As noted above, the 95's simply had the interior monochrome 'elastic' plastic coating from the factory on the dash, console and door "swooshes".

The wood trim on your 95 you have illustrated above was an aftermarket kit either installed by the dealer or by a previous owner.


Here are some threads that discuss the various wood kits:

https://rivperformance.editboard.com/t6425-write-up-bd-trims-and-sherwood-dash-kit-installation

https://rivperformance.editboard.com/t6424-post-pics-of-your-wood-dash-kit-here


BTW, your kit looks like it has remained in great shape and is a sharp finish.



Al

Sir Psycho Sexy wrote:

I think it was talked about before that the wood on the 96 seemed much thicker. I've never seen a wood dash piece in good condition in person!

Yeah, faux or real, I think wood trim takes a real beating in an automotive environment and that's not unique to the Riviera whether a factory or aftermarket kit. Being also active in the Jaguar community, I see a lot of wood finishes there crack and haze from age.

I think the factory wood, at least in the 96, is probably a bit more durable than most of the aftermarket kits I've used on cars before. But I think the real difference is environmental. I suspect that cars that have been kept garaged, or better yet in conditioned garages, probably have wood finishes that hold up better.

Cars left out in the heat and go through thermal cycles as well as lots of Sun probably fail much sooner.

Al

Has anyone used water transferred printing before? I was thinking it could be used on the metal piece to replace the cracked fake wood. I don't know if the metal can be removed or not though. Something like this http://hdhydro.com/Wood.htm?m=87&s=596